The invention concerns a lifting device for containers, especially ISO containers which can be handled by means of container handling gear, with a drive means for traction means, which is arranged on a supporting frame in order to raise and lower the container by means of a load-receiving means arranged on the lower end of the traction means.
At container ports and in container yards, ISO containers are loaded and unloaded by means of handling gear, especially by means of straddle loaders, straddle carriers and container movers, which are used for the loading and unloading of trucks, railroad cars, trailers, or even automated guided vehicles (AGV). The trucks, railroad cars, trailers and automated guided vehicles are passive transportation vehicles, since they cannot themselves pick up and put down the containers being transported, whereas straddle loads, straddle carriers and container movers are active transportation vehicles, i.e., a container being transported within the container yard or the container port can also be picked up and placed down by them.
It is known that container handling equipment have motors on their chassis, which drive one or more cable winches. The cables of the winches are guided across several deflection rollers to four fastening points of a load-receiving means in the form of a spreader. By means of the motor or motors, the cables are wound and unwound, thereby varying the lift height of the spreader. The loading or unloading of a passive transportation vehicle begins when an ISO container is picked up by means of the spreader and lifted by winding up the cables. The container handling unit now travels the container above the transport vehicle and sets the container down on its loading surface. The unloading of the transportation vehicle occurs accordingly in the opposite sequence. The container handling equipment is likewise used for transport of containers within the container yard and container port, the container being lifted during the transport.
The cable lifting mechanisms used in the container handling equipment require an intensive maintenance, which leads to long down times for the container handling equipment, besides high maintenance costs. At the same time, the known cable lifting mechanisms are bulky in construction.
The container handling equipment is used for the loading of trucks, railroad cars, trailers, or also automated guided vehicles, on which the containers are not stacked one on the other. Consequently, only low heights of 1.2 m to 3.8 m can be achieved, so that the cable lifting mechanisms can also be smaller in dimension.